


Forever and Always

by Ginipig



Series: Cullistair One-Shots [15]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Adorable, Fluff, M/M, Mushy, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-19 07:40:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22307560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ginipig/pseuds/Ginipig
Summary: Cullen is ordered to rest, and Alistair makes sure he does. In his drowsy state, Cullen hears things he isn't supposed to.
Relationships: Alistair/Cullen Rutherford, cullistair - Relationship
Series: Cullistair One-Shots [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1604995
Comments: 10
Kudos: 37





	Forever and Always

**Author's Note:**

> I saw _Frozen 2_ this weekend, and realized how much 1) Kristoff is basically Alistair, and 2) I LOVE KRISTOFF (and Alistair). I needed something sappy with one of them, so here's some really mushy Cullistair.

“Come on,” Alistair said, dragging Cullen by the hand toward the loft. “You need to rest.”

Cullen jerked Alistair in the direction of his desk; he couldn’t afford to rest right now. “I can’t, I have to —”

“Ah-ah!” Alistair yanked Cullen hard enough they both stumbled to the ladder, where he wagged a finger at him. “Inquisitor’s orders, remember?”

Cullen sighed. The four women at the head of the Inquisition had banded together with Alistair to force him to get some rest, and the Inquisitor had, in fact, insisted, _“It’s not a request, Commander. It’s an order.”_

Traitors, all of them.

He opened his mouth to argue again, but Alistair covered it with an entire hand.

“No. You need sleep, Cullen. So we’re going to go up there, change into comfy clothes, and get into bed. You can lay your head in my lap if it’ll help. I can even read to you. But you’re going to rest. Okay?”

Cullen’s shoulders slumped, and he nodded. He was defeated, he knew.

“Good,” said Alistair. “Now get up there. I’ll follow.”

And when Cullen stepped on the bottom rung of the ladder, Alistair slapped him on the ass.

“Get a move on, Commander.”

Cullen could hear his smirk and sighed.

Five minutes later, they were settled into bed. Alistair sat with his back toward the wall they’d pushed it up against, while Cullen lay on it properly with his head positioned comfortably in Alistair’s lap, facing inward.

Alistair began to stroke Cullen’s hair, and Cullen didn’t even try to fight the immediate drooping of his eyes.

Fine. Perhaps he needed a _little_ rest.

“There,” Alistair whispered. “Get some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake.”

“Mmm,” was all Cullen could manage before his drowsiness began to pull him under.

True sleep eluded him, but even dozing on and off with Alistair stroking his hair was more rest than he’d managed to get on his own in the past few weeks.

At some point, while drifting in that blurry area between sleep and wakefulness where the senses seem both dull and sharp in turns, Alistair spoke, his fingers never ceasing their constant, comforting caresses through Cullen's hair.

“Maker’s breath, but you are beautiful like this,” Alistair whispered. “Of course, you’re always beautiful,” he added, “but you’re so peaceful like this. I just … I wish you took better care of yourself.”

Cullen felt Alistair’s lips on his temple, and it was wonderful. He wanted to tell him so, wanted to tell him how grateful he was for everything Alistair did for him, but all he could manage was a soft sigh.

Alistair let out a huff that might have been a quiet laugh, followed by a sniff.

“You are such an idiot sometimes,” Alistair said, words thick with emotion. “I’m so worried that you’ll push yourself too far, and you’ll get sick, and then you’ll —” His voice broke, and his hand left Cullen’s hair for a moment before returning. Another sniff. “I just love you _so much_ , and if anything happened …”

It was the shakiness of Alistair’s next few breaths that pulled Cullen up toward the surface of consciousness.

“I’d ask you to marry me if I didn’t think it would push you away.” Alistair hiccuped softly. “Sometimes I feel like my heart is going to explode with everything I feel for you. But I know you need time, and that’s all right.”

Cullen, fully awake now, tried to remain still in spite of the stinging in his eyes and the lump in his throat.

“I know you feel like you need to redeem yourself. I just wish you could see that everyone cares far more about _you_ than how hard you work.” A heavy sniff. “Especially me.”

Cullen could hardly contain his emotions now, and he nearly lost it completely when he felt Alistair’s forehead against his temple, Alistair’s lips in his hair, Alistair’s gentle breaths in his ear.

“May your dreams all be good ones, my love, and your sleep be restful.”

Cullen squeezed his eyes shut tight to keep in his tears, hoping that Alistair might be too distracted to notice.

He wasn’t, of course. Not this man who loved him so much he had to speak all his feelings aloud, even if no one ever heard his confession.

“Shh.” Alistair ran his fingers along Cullen’s scalp and through his hair even more gently than before, while his other hand lay on Cullen’s cheek, thumb stroking up and down. “I’m here. I won’t let the monsters hurt you.”

But that only made Cullen’s task more difficult, and he let out a soft sob.

“Cullen.” Alistair turned Cullen’s head so it faced up toward him. “Wake up, sweetheart. It’s just a dream, I promise.”

At that, Cullen finally opened his eyes to find Alistair’s blurry face watching him with immense concern.

“I hope not,” Cullen said, tears free to escape the corners of his eyes and roll down the sides of his face toward his ears. “I’ve never —”

It was his turn to hiccup, and he leaned into Alistair’s hand which cupped his cheek, its thumb brushing away further tears.

“Shh,” Alistair said again, kissing both of Cullen's eyes and then his mouth. “I’m sorry for waking you. You didn’t need to hear me get all blubbery and stupidly sentimental.”

“But I did.” Cullen shook his head. “You’re not stupid. I —” He buried his face in Alistair’s abdomen.

“It’s okay,” Alistair whispered, continuing to stroke his hair. “Just rest. Go back to sleep, and we’ll talk about it later.”

Cullen clasped whatever part of Alistair he could — his legs, a chunk of his shirt — and shook his head again. “No, I — I love you, too, _so much_ , and I — I want to …”

“Shh, I know.”

Alistair’s gentle words and hands and fingers through his hair started to relax him, and his eyelids drooped closed again.

After a shaky breath or two, he calmed enough to form the right words.

“I’d say yes if you asked,” he murmured. His thoughts grew heavy again, but that didn’t stop his smile at the idea of Alistair asking him such a question. “You make me feel happy again.”

Alistair made a noise that might have been a laugh, or a sob, or a gasp, or maybe all three. “You make me feel happy again, too.”

A wonderful flutter travelled up from Cullen’s stomach into his chest, which felt so full he thought it might burst. “I love you.” He nuzzled his face, smile and all, into Alistair. “I want to spend forever with you.”

Alistair huffed a laugh, and then Cullen felt lips on his cheek. “Me, too. I promise to ask you about it later. Get some rest for now. I’ll —”

“Be here when I wake,” Cullen whispered, barely getting the words out before the drowsiness began to drag him downward once again.

Alistair’s fingers gently brushed through his hair. “Always, my love.”

Cullen couldn’t manage anything more than a soft, peaceful sigh as he completely relaxed, comfortable and safe in the arms of the man he loved, and finally drifted fully into the Fade.


End file.
